What happened
Driving the news: A resident of the nearby village of Whelford, Gloucestershire, told the Press Association she saw three white vans “blocking the road” and a “large group of hooded men” wearing balaclavas, prompting her to alert police at around 12.45am on Sunday.
- Police declared a major incident and armed officers arrested the men, aged between 23 and 25, on suspicion of explosives offenses and planning a terrorist act.
- A bomb squad examined the vehicles, police said.
- Police later said the five London men had been released on bail without charge, but Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, Britain’s national head of counter-terrorism policing, told reporters on Monday they were still under investigation. The suspects have not been named, in line with British police practice.
The possible link with Iran
What we’re looking at: British counter-terrorism investigators are looking into a possible link to Iran, according to multiple reports.
- Taylor noted “the considerable interest in knowing whether the current geopolitical context has any influence” on the alleged plot.
- “We are keeping an open mind in this investigation,” he said. “But rest assured, we are looking at this from every possible angle, including the fact that this could be actively committed by proxies or individuals, knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”
What the United States is saying
State of play: President Trump told reporters Sunday that the suspects were under investigation and “looking to do great damage to our fort,” adding, “The collaboration with the British worked very well and we got them.”
- Trump’s assertion that the suspects were being investigated contrasts with British reports that the police operation was not intelligence-led.
- The 501st Combat Support Wing told Axios on Sunday that no U.S. Air Force personnel were involved and said it remains “in close coordination with our UK partners to help ensure the safety and security of our military and local communities.”
- The US Embassy in London, in a security alert issued in response to the incident, advised Americans to “exercise caution and ensure their personal safety.”
What Iran says
For the record: The Iranian Embassy in London told X that Tehran “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculation published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran” to the incident.
- “The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, if necessary, to protect the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and harmful narratives in the media.”
Why RAF Fairford is important
Context: The UK earlier this year authorized the US to use RAF Fairford for limited defensive strikes against Iranian missile capabilities, after refusing to take part in US offensive operations against Iran.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in July that any British base used for attacks on Iranian territory would be considered a “legitimate target”, specifically citing US B-1 bombers flying from the base.
Gn world
